Printing press folder



April 10, 1945.

- E. W. WORTHINGTON PR INTING PRESS FOLDER 'Filed July 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 10,- 1945.

E. WORTHINGTON PRINTING PRE'SIS, FOLDER Filed July 26, 1941 g SheetS-Shet 2 Patented Apr. 10, 1945 PRINTING PRESS FOLDER Emory W. Worthington, Chicago, Ill'., assignor to The Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago, 111.,

a corporation of Illinois Application July 26, 1941, Serial No. 404,164

8 Claims.

This invention relates to printing presses and more particularly to an improved folding mechanism for high speed rotary printing presses which print on a running web of paper.

Objects and advantages of the invention will in and constituting a part hereof, illustrate onev embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a printing press folding mechanism showing an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, certain parts being broken away for better understanding;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the former nose shown in Fig. L'certain parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view in perspective of certainlparts of the former mechanism shown in Fig.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the former adjusting mechanism taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the former adjusting and indicating mechanism taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, certain parts being broken away;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a printing press former and former rolls showing an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line l-l of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8-is a side elevation with certain parts broken away of a further illustrative embodiment of the invention; and.

Fig. 9 is aside view on. an enlarged scale of certain of the adjusting means shown in Fig. 6.

The present invention has for an object the provision of a novel and improved folding mechanism for printing presses printing on a running web to effect the first longitudinal fold ofthe printed web. A further object is to provide such an improved folding mechanism that will efficiently, accurately and surely effect the first longitudinal fold of the printed web, and which will so operate upon a single web or a number of superposed webs simultaneously with equal efficiency and with the web moving at high'speeds. Still another object is the provision of a folding mechanism which will accommodate either single webs or superposed multiple webs simultaneously, without tearing; wrinkling or mutilatin'g the product in any way, ,and which may be easily, efiiciently and certainly adjusted for various conditions of operation; The invention also provides independent adjustments for various members of a folding mechanism.

In accordance with the illustrative form of the present invention the folding mechanism of a printing press comprises aformer and means for its angular adjustment with respect to the printing press. The .nose of the former isformed of two members, thefirst of which is pivotallyattached to .the second, and the second is pivotally attached to the body of the former. Means are provided for the automatic angular adjustment of the two nose members with respect to each other by the pressure ofthe web orwebs which are being folded 'at'any' given time, while means connected to the second nose member and under the control of the pressman are provided for the angular adjustment of the two nose members with respect tothe body of the former.: In

accordance with one embodiment of the invention the adjusting means for the former with'respect to the printing press and those for the nose members with respect tothe body of the formerare so constructed that either adjustment may be made without disturbing the setting of the other. Former rollers are provided adjacent the former nose to cooperate with the former in the longitudinal foldingof the web or webs, and the ends of these rollers nearer the former nose maybe laterally movably mounted and are adjustable by means underthe-controlof thepressman for imparting simultaneous lateral opposite, movement or independent lateral movement to the respective roller ends.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, a printing press folding mechanism .comprises a frame [0 having 'upwardly extending supportin members ll upon which the main body portion I 2 of the former is mounted for. pivotal movement by means of its bracket l3 and pin M, to receive the runnin web from the top, of former roller 15, as shown former nose is pivotally mounted on the nose holder I! by means of pins 20 extending through the two members and the other and.,o utermost member 2i of fthe rformernose is Linfturn, pivotally mounted in the slot 22 of the intermediate member and held as by a screw 23.

to the under surface of the berm. Y

. Means are provided for adjusting the angular position of the former, and as illustratively embodied the folder frame In supports 'theintegrally- 5 7 The member 2! is spring pressed outwardly and against the surface ofthe web or webs by spring fl secured intermediate ,mem-

formed and upwardly extending bracket '25 in which the T shaped adjusting nut 26 is journalled forrota'tion. shown F ig."'4, the Tr-shaped adjusting 'nut' .26 "-has a" threaded hollow bore adapted "to receive the cooperatingly threaded end "21 of adjusting -bar 28;:-which' at its other end is pivotally attached'as by boltIZB to aibracket mem- 'ber 30'fixed't'o the under-side oi the main body portion I 2 ofthe formen The annulariinternally threaded positioning and thrust bearing ringlis'l is screwed upon the threadeddnnerflend' 32 :of adjusting nut '26, and 'arjam nut-izfi'i is iprovided gon the threaded end 21 0f the adjusting'barffl to fix the adjusted positionrgiven to adjusting ibolt j acent thehead of adjusting ibolt IE-which carries the pointer to indicate theiparticular :an-

gula'r adjustment given to the'iormer. I

Adjusting means are likewise provided forth angular positioning of the former nosetmembers 1'9 --an'd"2l, and :according tol'one embodiment an -adju'sting hand :wheel 38 18 1 fiXBd FtO oneaend of the adjusting rod 39 which is supporti'ngly journalledfor rotation between -the gripping arms 6D o: supportbracket :41 which-is mounted'upon bar '28 and "movably fixed" thereto thy-a set screwf 53.

A collar' 'isfixed bya taper pin to"rodv39 :on the side or :gripping arms awayfrom hand wheel '38 and "serves, .together with the axially extending annular portionfifi of the hand :wheel, to prevent relative -:axial: movement of rod :39 with respect toqarms 40; "f'The lever aarm '42, ibifurcated at *either end-and i pivotally mounted by a bolt -44 on bracket '30, straddles the adjusting rod-39 to-wl'iich itis anchored by aipintle 43, :1 ournaled in the lever and-through which-the rod is threaded, while' link :46 is pivotally' attached :at

the other end. Lihk fli is pivotallyattachedat its other en'd to a "bracket 4 fixed' to 'theaunder side of I the intermediateformer nose =member I 9. A bolt 5 48 :is x'inserted through the'upper :ends of the gripping arms llil crane support bracket =14 I and provided with a nut and-arm'ls onits'threaded endso that the pressman'may'loclc the:rod 39 against rotation; A' dial 5'0 ismounted upon support-bracket =and=a pointer 5! onihand wheel 38 indicates thereon 'the angular position given the nose-members.

j Novel and improved iormer :1011818 are provided'to cooperate-withthe former in imparting a longitudinal fold to'sthewveb tor 'webs bein printed by the press; and according: to a preferred embodiment the; rollers 55, 56, are :positioned-'adjacent th'e lower apex of the formeron either side of the'dormernose. The ends of the rollersifi, 56 ardjournalled in the self-centering :ball bearings 51358 respectively,- andthes'e bearings hymeans of their respective integral enlarged base portions -59 are slidably mounted upon the frame 10 of the muff coupling 66, said coupling ibeing. fixed to :screw 65 by pin 6! extendingthrough the members and to screw 6| by-a set screw 68. A plurality of holes 69 are provided about the periphery of coupling 66 into which a bar may be inserted for turning screw 65 independently of screw .BLsetscrewGB being firstdisengaged. Screw 6| ismountedagainstaxial movement on the frame lll by bracketBZ, and a hand wheel 64 is mounted on the end of the screw. The screws 6l, 65 engage corresponding internal threads in the holes :63 of the bearings58, 51 respectively, and it will be apparent that by turning the hand wheel 64 the ends .of the rollers 55, '56 adjacent the --formerinose' maybe simultaneously moved equal distanceseithertowar'd or away from each other,

' or, by disengaging set screw 68, the roller" ends may be-independently laterally adjusted. The

other ends of the rollers 55,556 may'be'mounted in self centering ball bearings upon the frame 10 many convenient manner.

"Withthe'illustrative embodimentof the inven- 'tion shownand described itwill be apparent that :but at the same time completely under the control of the pressman; By turning the adjusting nut 26 the angular relation of the whole former, including members l2, l9 and 2|, with respect to the printing press maybe varied and set, while the angular relation :of the. former'nose members 19 and2l with'respectto'the main body portion [2 of the'former may be determined'by turning 'the hand wheel '38, and this relation will not be "affected by any adjustment madeby the nut 26.

The former nose member 2! isself adjusting under varying conditions by actionof spring'24, and the distance between the ends of the rollers 55; 56 adjacent the former nose as well as their relative wlateral positions may be determined by the pressman by'the adjustments already described.

7 A modified form of the invention as applied to the former is shown in Fig. 8, and'as there embodied the adjustment for the main body portion '12 of the former by means of adjusting nut 26 on barrZB isas already described. One end of the adjusting rod 'm for the former nose member is journalled in a bracket "H fixed to one of the upwardly extending members i I, while the. other end is attached by universal I joint '12 to the threaded link 73 which-extends through acooperatingly threaded bore'M of abracket 15 attached to the main body portion [2 of 'the former. 'Theother end of the link i3 is pivotally attached to abracketlfi which is fixed to the intermediate formernose'member i9, and the desired adjustmentgisveffected by hand wheel H on rodlll.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited'to the specific mechanisms shown and described butdepartures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing'from the principles of themvention and without sacrificing its chief advantages. y Y a What I claim is:

1. In a printing press folder to efl'ect a longitudinal fold in the web, a folder frame, a main body portion of the folder pivotally mounted on the frame, an intermediate former nose member pivotally mounted on the main body portion, a former nose end member pivotally mounted on the intermediate member, a spring attached to the intermediate member and engaging the end member to yieldingly press said end member outwardly toward the web, means connecting the frame and the main body portion for varying the angular relation therebetween, and separate means connecting the intermediate nose member and the first means for varying the angular relation between the intermediate nos-e member and the main body portion, whereby the angular relation between the main body portion and the frame may be varied without varying the angular relation between the main body portion and the intermediate nose member.

2. In a printing press folder to impart a longitudinal fold to .the running web a substantially triangularly shaped former, a pair of spaced apart former rollers positioned to receive the Web therebetween after it passes over the former and thereby fold the weblongitudinally of its length, and means for independently moving the ends of said rollers adjacent the line of fold of the web toward or away from the line of fold.

3. A printing press folder to efiect a longitudinal fold in the web comprising in combination a former having a main body portion, an intermediate nose member pivotally mounted thereon, and an end nose member pivotally mounted on the intermediate nose member and spring pressed outwardly toward the web, a pair of spaced apart former rollers one end of each positioned on either side of the former nose members, means for varying the angular relation of the intermediate and end nose members with respect to the main body portion of the former and means for moving the roller ends on either side of the former nose members toward or away from said nose members 4. A printing press folder to effect a longitudinal fold in the web comprising in combination a folder frame, a former having a main body portion pivotally mounted on the frame, an intermediate nose member pivotally mounted on the main body portion, an end nose member pivotally mounted on the intermediate nose member, and

the web, means connecting the frame and the main body portion for varying the angular relation therebetween, means connecting the intermediate nose member and the main body portion for varying the angular relation therebetween, a pair of spaced apart former rollers one end of each positioned on either side of the former nose members, individual bearing means for the said roller ends slidably mounted on the frame, and

means for sliding said bearing means toward or away from the nose members of the former.

5. In a printing press folder a former, a pair of former rollers an end of each being positioned on either side of the lower apex of the former, and means for independently moving the said former roller ends toward or away from the lower apex of the former.

6. In a printing press folder a former, a pair of former rollers an end of each being positioned on either side of the lower apex of the former, and selectively operable means for independently moving the former roller ends toward or away from the lower apex of the former and for simultaneously moving the former roller ends toward or away from the lower apex of the former.

7. In a printing press former, a main body portion pivotally mounted with respect to the printing press, a former nose pivotally mounted on the main body portion, means secured only with respect to the main body portion and nose for varying the angular relation between said main body portion and nose and maintaining the same in a desired angular relation, and other means for varying the angular relation of the main body portion and nose as an assembly with relation to the printing press.

8. In a printingpress former, a main body portion pivotally mounted with respect to the printing press, a fiormer nose portion pivotally mounted on the main body portion, a stationary member, adjusting means interconnecting one of said portions and the stationary member for varying the angular relation between the main body portion and the printing press, and other adjusting means interconnecting said portions with each other and unsecured to any stationary I member for varying the angular relation between assembly with respect to the printing press may spring means attached to the intermediate memher and engaging the end nose member to yieldingly press said end member outwardly toward be efiected without adjustment of said second adjusting means.

EMORY w. WORTHINGTON. 

